The Australian Super Rugby season is starting to take shape after 5 rounds and we have two interesting matchups this weekend. The Western Force will be desperate to join the winners’ list this week as they face the Rebels. Meanwhile, Saturday night in Canberra will feature the two best sides in the competition as the Brumbies tackle the Reds.
Super Rugby Preview Round 5 Betting Tips
Western Force vs Melbourne Rebels
Friday, Jul 3 7:05pm (AEST)
The Force are still searching for their first win in Super Rugby AU after 3 straight losses. Last week's 24-0 defeat against the Brumbies was their worst performance of the new season so they'll be after an improved performance this Friday night at Leichhardt Oval. They do have a good history of close contests against the Rebels in Super Rugby so we'll see if they can recapture that form.
Melbourne comes into this matchup on a high after crushing the Waratahs 29-10 at the SCG. It was their first victory of the season adnd they're well favoured to beat the Force this Friday night. In a penalty fest with the 'Tahs, Matt Toomua was important with the boot as he nailed 5 penalty goals. While on the defensive side, the Rebels kept them scoreless for 57 minutes and conceded just 1 try for the entire 80 minutes.
In the history between the two sides, the Rebels have a clear advantage at 9-4 head to head and should win. But the Force did win the last meeting 31-22 in 2017 and the average winning margin for either side is around 6 points since 2014. So once again, we don't mind the underdog line for the Force as they should be desperate for their first victory.
ACT Brumbies vs Queensland Reds
Saturday, Jul 4 7:15pm (AEST)
After 3 straight wins, the ACT Brumbies are flying high at the top of the Super Rugby AU table. Last week's 24-0 win over the Force was their most complete game of the season and a shutout is always impressive, no matter the opponent. So with a healthy lead atop the standings and facing the 2nd placed Reds, this is a very important game for the Brumbies in their search of the Super Rugby AU title.
Queensland will be fresh from the bye and ready for the challenge against the best side in the competition. Previously, the Reds beat the Force in a tight contest at Suncorp, 31-24. All 3 of their games this season have been close battles so we'd likely expect more of the same here.
The two teams met in Round 1 of the now cancelled Super Rugby competition this year and the Brumbies came away with a tight 27-24 victory on their home turf. Which is a good sign for the underdog Reds as they head back to Canberra on Saturday night. So we'll be hoping they can produce a similar performance here and cover the underdog line.
